


Friends Don't

by imfamousisthenewfamous



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bellarke, Echo is the worst in this, Everyone knows they love each other, F/M, Minor Becho, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, except for them, not even sorry, these two are literal idiots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-11-26 16:22:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18182945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imfamousisthenewfamous/pseuds/imfamousisthenewfamous
Summary: After nearly six years of friendship, every person in their group had made some kind of comment about Bellamy and Clarke, the most consistent being calling them “Mom and Dad.” It was true, they were the most responsible of everyone. But their friends said it more as if they were a married couple than anything. And every time they heard it, they both shared an eye roll and laughed it off. It always led to Clarke stating they were just best friends, and Raven shaking her head, stating “Friends don’t act like the two of you.”





	1. Call You in the Middle of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> So today I was listening to the song "Friends Don't" by Maddie and Tae and literally all I could think about was Bellarke so here we are.  
> This is going to be multi chapter so if you end up loving it, don't fret, there is more to come. In the future I plan to make these chapters longer, but for now I just needed to get what I had written out there before I drove myself crazy.
> 
> So without further ado, BELLARKE.

Clarke laid in her bed, mere minutes away from sleep, when she heard her phone vibrate on the night stand. After vowing not to go out, she was hoping that her Friday would consist of a bad slasher film, a glass of wine, and the loving embrace of her bed. 

What she wasn’t hoping for was a call at midnight disrupting her. Groaning, she looked at the screen with one eye closed, the light much too bright in her dark room. A familiar photo flashed on the screen: Her arms tight around Bellamy’s neck as he steadied her with one strong arm. She had just hit the winning cup in a game of beer pong and got a little carried away with her celebration.

Even the fondness of the photo couldn’t detract from the annoyance of being disturbed.

“This better be good, Blake. I told you I was having a self-care night.”

“Hi,” was all she heard from the other line.

The lack of a sarcastic clapback prompted Clarke to sit up from her bed. This was certainly not the first time he had called her this late. It was usually as an excuse to escape from a girl he had hooked up with or to vent about Octavia, which is actually how they became friends.

One day freshman year, after months of being in the same friend group and arguing constantly, Bellamy accidentally called Clarke drunk at 3 AM and went off about how his sister was thinking about going to a different college three states away. Before he realized she wasn’t who he thought she was, it was too late. They ended up talking until the sun came up. 

But even after what could have easily been hundreds of calls back and forth, she had never just been greeted with “Hi.” 

“Bellamy? Are you okay?” The concern was apparent in her voice. She heard no response from the other line. “Can you answer me so I know you weren’t murdered?”

She heard him chuckle through the phone and the sound sent a chill down her spine. She could imagine his smile, how he was probably propped up against the wall of some bar downtown wearing a grey t-shirt that made his arms look way too good.

“I think you probably would’ve heard some kind of reaction if I was murdered, Princess,” she heard him say. “Besides, I don’t think any psychopath would dare to challenge me.”

His voice snapped her back to reality. Jesus, Clarke, she thought to herself. Get your shit together, he’s your best friend.

“Okay, well back to my original statement: why are you interrupting my me-time?” She laid back down, the phone pressed between her cheek and her pillow.

“I don’t know, I just felt like saying hi,” he stated. “I honestly figured you’d already be asleep, but I was hoping you wouldn’t be.”

She felt her stomach flutter. He’s drunk, she told herself. He always says things like that to you when he’s drunk. You’re his best friend. 

“Well,” she said through a yawn, “When you have friends like mine you learn that on weekends, someone is probably going to need you after a few too many rounds. Case and point, you.”

She heard him chuckle again. 

“Valid point, except I’m not drunk. I didn’t even go out tonight. Too many papers to grade.” She heard a faint tap through the phone, and she knew he must be rubbing his eyes, causing his glasses to hit the screen.

“Don’t tell me you’re still grading, Bellamy. It’s past midnight on a Friday. You have all weekend,” she scolded him. He always did this. He loved being a TA and he loved helping his students succeed, but it often came at the price of him not enjoying being a 24-year-old. 

“I’m being diligent,” he argued. “These kids need all the help they can get. Which you should know, considering I spent countless nights at the library helping you with your Ancient Civilizations homework sophomore year.”

“Okay, I know you didn’t call me to talk about your work and how you helped me pass one class 3 years ago. And you’re not calling me to pick you up from the bar so, what do you want?”

“I already told you, Princess. I just wanted to say hi. Felt like hearing your voice.” He sounded soft, embarrassed almost. She felt a pull in her heard.

“Okay, then,” she said softly. “Hi.”

She could hear him smile through the phone. It was times like these when she wondered if this was normal. None of her other friends randomly called her to say hello on a Friday night. 

“You’re my best friend, you know that right?” he heard him ask on the other line.

“Yes, idiot. I know that.” She tried to ignore the pang she felt in her chest when she heard that, passing it off as heartburn and definitely not any kind of reaction to him calling her his best friend. They said they were best friends all the time.

After nearly six years of friendship, every person in their group had made some kind of comment about Bellamy and Clarke, the most consistent being calling them “Mom and Dad.” It was true, they were the most responsible of the group. But their friends said it more as if they were a married couple than anything. And every time they heard it, they both shared an eye roll and laughed it off. It always led to Clarke stating they were just best friends, and Raven shaking her head, stating “Friends don’t act like the two of you.”

Clarke felt her exhaustion taking back over, shifting a little and repositioning her phone.

“You tired, Princess?” she heard Bellamy ask.

“Mmmmm,” she mumbled out, suddenly too tired to formulate words. She felt her eyes begin to close.

“I’ll let you go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Clarke didn’t know what came over her, but she didn’t want him to hang up the phone. 

“No,” the word came out as a sleepy sigh.

“No? You’re not coming to Raven’s party?”

“Yes, Raven’s party,” she mumbled. “No hang up.”

Clarke heard a light laugh come from through the phone. God, she loved that sound. 

“Okay, princess. No hang up.” His words were the last thing Clarke registered before she fell asleep. 

When she woke up in the morning, she heard soft snores coming from her phone.


	2. Stand Around Playing With Their Keys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're introduced the the Delinquents, everyone meets Echo, Drama ensues.

Clarke stayed on the line with Bellamy for a few minutes before finally hanging up. She was surprised he had fallen asleep with her on the phone. Had he taken the phone to bed with him and actively not hung up on her? Had he fallen asleep as he was grading at his desk? She remembered mumbling for him not to hang up, but she expected he would after a few minutes.

Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was only 9 AM, and she hadn’t really planned anything to keep her occupied until she had to get ready for Raven’s party. She glanced around her small studio and noticed that the laundry was piling up a bit more than she had realized. 

She pushed her covers off and shrugged herself into her old jean shorts and a very oversized, worn out Bruce Springsteen t-shirt. After throwing her hair into a bun and slipping on her sandals, she shoved the dirty clothes from around her room into the bag and threw it over her shoulder.

The heat hit her like a wave when she walked onto the sidewalk. It was only May, but the temperature had already started to reach the low 80s in Arkadia. She was thankful that the laundromat was one block down, otherwise she would’ve turned right back around.

When she arrived and loaded her laundry into the machine, she sat on the bench by the window and watched the world pass by. Couples walking their dogs, families heading to breakfast, hungover twenty-somethings trying desperately not to throw up while on their way to get Gatorade.

The familiar chorus of “Baby Got Back” began blasting through the laundromat, shaking her out of her haze. She glanced at her phone and saw Octavia’s face grinning at her. The younger Blake had ended up changing her mind on attending Arkadia University and was now a senior. She and Clarke had hit it off right away, and Octavia was thrilled when Clarke decided to stay in Arkadia for the two-year MFA program following graduation.

“I see you took it upon yourself to change your ringtone again,” she said in place of a greeting. “You’re lucky I’m the only person doing laundry right now.”

She heard Octavia laugh through the phone, followed shortly after by a groan. “Don’t make me laugh, Clarke. It hurts.”

“You deserve it for the embarrassment you could have caused me,” Clarke stated. “Karma’s a bitch.”

“No, tequila’s a bitch,” Octavia corrected. “Anyway, I didn’t call you to discuss my raging hangover. I called to ask why you didn’t inform me that Bellamy was bringing a girl tonight.”

Clarke felt her heart stop. Bellamy was bringing a girl? He never brought girls around to these events. Sure, he had girls come and hang out with them at bars before, but never at Delinquent parties. 

She took a deep breath, trying to come off as collected as possible. “I had no idea he was bringing anyone, O. Must be pretty serious if he wants her to meet everyone, though.” 

“All I know is that her name is Echo, she’s in law school at Mount Weather and they’ve been on a couple of dates. That’s literally all the information he gave me.” Octavia’s voice was dripping with annoyance. “He hasn’t told you anything?”

Clarke’s mind was heavy with confusion. Why would he not tell her? They told each other everything. Or at least she thought they did. 

“No, Octavia, this is the first I’m hearing about it, but I’m sure he has his reasons for keeping it quiet. Anyway, what time do you want to come over to get ready tonight?” Clarke was desperate to chance the subject and take her mind away from what other secrets Bellamy may have been keeping from her. 

“Let’s get brunch in an hour. I need a little hair of the dog to kick this hangover and we’ll play it by ear. I’ll bring all my stuff to get ready,” Octavia said. “And Clarke? I’m sure he did have his reasons for not telling you.” 

Clarke felt tears unexpectedly pool in her eyes as the timer for her laundry dinged. “I’ll see you soon, O.”

~~~  
Clarke opened her eyes to the sun beginning to set out her window. As she glanced around, she noticed a suspicious number of limbs around her in bed. When she glanced at the clock, she saw that it was nearly 7 PM.

“Ugh, shit,” she whispered to herself. She slowly sat up in bed, memories of the day trickling back.

When Octavia said “a little hair of the dog”, what she meant was “drink the restaurant dry.” Harper and Raven had ended up joining them for a two-hour bottomless brunch, and here they were. All four of them passed out in Clarke’s bed.

She heard a groan coming from the end of the mattress and saw a mess of black hair peak out from the comforter.

“Clarke?” Raven inquired. “Please tell me that clock doesn’t actually say 7 PM and I don’t actually need to be ready for my own party in 3 hours.”

“I’m sorry to say this, Rae, we all have to be ready for your party in 3 hours,” Clarke replied. “Alright, ladies. Up and at em’. We all need about 5 hours to look presentable and we’ve only got 3 so let’s get moving!”

Clarke quickly pushed herself out of bed, accidentally taking Harper’s legs with her.

“Clarke!” The blonde yelled, now sitting on the floor, eyes barely open. “I hate you so much right now.”

“I’m not going. I have double the hangover now. Why did you guys make me do this?” Octavia voice was low, her head buried underneath a pillow. Raven and Harper exchanged a look and both looked at Clarke for approval. Clarke nodded, and the two girls began jumping up and down, jostling Octavia from the bed.

“Alright, alright, I’m up!” Octavia stood up from the bed. “I call first shower!” She quickly ran towards the bathroom, Harper and Raven following behind and protesting.

Clarke grabbed her phone and saw that she had 6 texts from Bellamy and 2 missed calls. Unlocking her phone, she read the messages.

**Bell (3:23 PM):**  
**Hey, do you have a second to chat?**

**Bell (3:40 PM):**  
**Clarke?**

**Bell (4:27 PM):**  
**Are you still coming to Raven’s party?**

**Bell (4:42 PM):**  
**Have you heard from Octavia?**

**Bell (5:15 PM):**  
**Why aren’t you answering your phone?**

**Bell (6:34 PM):**  
**Are you with Harper and Raven? No one is responding.**

Sighing, Clarke wrote back.

**Clarke (6:57 PM):**  
**Yes, I’m with Raven and Harper. Octavia is here, too. And no, I don’t have a second to chat, we're trying to get ready. See you tonight!**

She saw the chat bubble show up, and then disappear shortly after. When she checked again after her shower, she had no new messages. 

~~~

Clarke had done her best to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as their Uber pulled up to the apartment that Raven and Murphy shared. It had taken more effort than any of them were willing to put in, but all four of the girls had managed to look pretty put together for the situation they were in. 

Because this wasn’t a formal gathering, Clarke opted for her ripped black jeans, a loose white tank top and a red flannel around her waist. It was Bellamy’s flannel, but she borrowed his clothes all the time, so she figured he wouldn’t mind. Her hair was hanging around her face, her natural waves in full effect. She slapped some mascara on her eyes and called it a day. 

Walking up to the door, it was clear that the boys were already there. She could already hear Jasper and Monty’s “Chug” chant, which meant that the drinking games were already in full swing. They had a small group of friends, but it always sounded like there were 100 of them. 

When they walked in, Murphy immediate scooped Raven up into a hug. “Look at that, the birthday girl decided to grace us with her presence!” 

Raven laughed and lightly hit his shoulder. “Shut up and PUT ME DOWN! You’re making me nauseous.” 

Clarke grinned and looked around. She saw Shaw and Sterling playing Fortnite on the couch, and Roan, Luna, and Lincoln stocking the fridge with beer in the kitchen. Harper went straight to Monty, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek while Octavia made her way to Lincoln. The only person who was missing was Bellamy, and Clarke couldn’t help but wonder if he had decided not to come. 

“Clarkey, come join flip cup!” She heard Jasper yell. “But you need to be on a team with Maya and me because you always win.”

Clarke laughed and joined the game, happy to be with her friends. She was a few games in and sufficiently tipsy when she heard the door open. 

“Better late than never, Blake,” she heard Murphy say. 

“Sorry, man,” she heard his voice before she even saw him, and immediately made her way to the door to greet him, forgetting for a minute why she was nervous about seeing him in the first place. “We got a little held up.” 

“We didn’t get held up, I wanted to go somewhere else and he insisted we come here first.” 

Clarke stopped in her tracks when she saw Bellamy standing in the doorway. Next to him was who she could only assume to be Echo. And she did not looked pleased. She looked very out of place in their casual environment, wearing a tight velvet dress and silver heels. 

She looked to Bellamy and caught his eye. He had a look on his face that she couldn’t quite pinpoint, but she knew it stirred something in her that she wasn’t comfortable with. She saw him take a step towards her and immediately turned back to the flip cup table, continuing with the game. 

It was a few more minutes before he had made his way to her, Echo in tow.

“Hey, Pri—Clarke,” he quickly refrained himself from using the nickname, and Clarke tried to act like she wasn’t disappointed. “Mind if we join?” 

Clarke looked up at him and then at Echo. The girl looked angry, and she was shooting daggers at Clarke. She looked back to Bellamy. 

“Sure, pick a team.”

Bellamy immediately moved to the space opposite of Clarke, and Clarke quirked her eyebrow. “You really want to do that?” 

“Come on, who else would challenge you if not me?” 

Clarke rolled her eyes and began filling her cup. The air conditioner was going full force, causing Clarke to shiver. She untied the flannel from her waist and shrugged it on, rolling the comically long sleeves up to her elbows. When she looked back up, she saw Bellamy staring at her.

“Is that…” his question was cut off by the game beginning with Monty and Jasper starting. Clarke and Bellamy were the anchors, responsible for finishing the game for their team. Clarke felt his eyes on her, and when she looked at him, there was a tension between them that she hadn’t felt before. 

Before she knew it, Echo was competing against Murphy, but the girl could not get her cup to flip up. Once Murphy was done, Clarke threw her drink back and began flipping, Bellamy trailing only slightly behind her. Before she knew it, they were neck and neck. They both flipped their cups, and Clarke’s landed a split second before Bellamy’s. Everyone in the room went wild.

Clarke looked to Bellamy. “What’d I tell you? You can’t beat the master.” 

Bellamy laughed, shaking his head, “You got lucky.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes, making her way around the table. “Don’t be a sore loser, Bell. You gave it a valiant effort. Good game.” As she reached up to hug him, she felt a shove against her shoulder that sent her stumbling backwards into Shaw. 

“Stay in your lane, bitch.” She heard Echo say. When she looked up, she saw the girl standing beside Bellamy, her hand possessively gripping his bicep. “You look desperate.” 

Anger bubbled through Clarke and she felt herself take a step towards the girl before feeling Shaw’s arm around her waist, holding her back. 

“What the fuck, Echo?” She heard Bellamy say. Octavia was immediately at Clarke’s side, helping her back up. 

“Can we go now? I told Ontari we would meet her Club Grounder,” Echo said nonchalantly. 

Bellamy glanced at Clarke. She saw that he was torn, and that made her even more angry. How could he not know what the right decision was? 

“Are you coming with me or not, Bellamy?” Echo’s voice rang through the room, getting increasingly more aggressive. Bellamy remained silent. 

“Are you seriously debating this right now, Bellamy? You obviously aren’t going with her.” She heard Octavia say. 

“No one asked for your opinion.” Echo snapped back at her. The room erupted in arguments, everyone yelling at Echo and then Bellamy and then Echo yelling at Bellamy and Bellamy yelling at Octavia. 

“ENOUGH!” The room silenced quickly, all heads spinning towards Clarke. “Bellamy, take your girlfriend and leave.”

“Who do you think you—” She heard Echo begin to say before being cut off by Bellamy grabbing her hand and pulling her from the apartment, the door slamming behind him. 

“Alrighty, then,” Monty broke the silence. “Who needs a shot?!”

~~~

Clarke stayed at the party for another hour before deciding to go home. She said her goodbyes and headed out the door. As she sat waiting for her Uber, she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Princess.”

Clarke jumped and looked at him. “Are you allowed to call me that now that Echo’s not around?” She snapped. 

Bellamy winced, thankful that it was dark enough that she probably couldn’t see it. 

“Can I give you a ride home?” Without answering, Clarke cancelled her Uber and began walking towards Bellamy’s truck. They both climbed in and he began driving towards her apartment.

“Listen, Clarke. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know that she would act like that. She just gets territorial.” 

Clarke scoffed. “You’re seriously defending your girlfriend assaulting me?” 

Bellamy glanced over at her. “Of course not. And she’s not my girlfriend, we’ve only been out a couple of times.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Clarke asked before she could stop herself. “We tell each other everything. Did I do something wrong?” 

Her voice sounded so small, and it broke his heart. 

“You didn’t do anything, Clarke. It just never came up and I didn’t want to tell you if it wasn’t serious.”

Clarke turned and looked at him. “You brought her tonight. I’d say that’s pretty serious.”

When they pulled up to Clarke’s building, she immediately hopped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She didn’t know if it was the fact that he didn’t tell her about Echo, or that fact that he was with her at all that made her feel so broken. All she wanted was to get up to her bed, but she heard Bellamy cut the engine and follow her. She stopped when they reached the door. 

“Bellamy, seriously, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I just thought you would’ve told me but I get it it’s your life and who am I to judge who you want to be with, I just--” 

Her rant was cut off when Bellamy gently grabbed the sides of her face. Her eyes locked on his.

“It wasn’t serious, Clarke, and after that showing tonight, it’s never going to be, okay? I’m not seeing her anymore.” 

Clarke felt like she couldn’t breathe. All she could think about what his hands on her face, caressing her cheek. They were so close together. Her eyes dropped to his lips for a split second before finding their way back to his eyes. 

He had the same look that he did during the game earlier. His eyes were dark and hungry, and she thought he was about to kiss her before he quickly shook his head, releasing her from his hands. He grabbed his keys from his pocket. 

“Um, yeah anyway that’s just what I wanted to tell you,” He said quickly, his fingers fidgeting with the keychain in his hand. She could tell he wanted to say something else. 

“So, do you want to grab lunch with everyone tomorrow? I feel like Octavia’s going to need some convincing to forgive me after that disaster.” He laughed nervously. 

“Yeah, Bellamy, we can grab lunch. I’ll text Octavia in the morning.” Clarke slid her key into the front door, opening it slightly. Bellamy was still looking down, sliding his keys back and forth in his hand. 

“Okay… well, I guess I’ll head home.” 

Clarke let out a confused laugh. Why was he acting so weird? 

“Okay… Night, Bell.” She took a step into the building. He walked back to his car and opened the door slowly, as if he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to get back in it yet. He stood up on the step to the driver’s side. 

As Clarke began to close the door, he called out to her. “Hey, Clarke?” 

“Yeah, Bell?”

Bellamy looked down, elbows leaning on the top of the truck and Clarke could’ve sworn that she saw him blush under the streetlamps. When he looked back up with a smirk on his face, confidence now radiating off of him. “You look great in my shirt.” 

Without another word, he slid into the car and drove away. 

Clarke felt her face heat up and she quickly closed the door to her apartment. She leaned her back against the door and closed her eyes with one thought circling her brain.

_Friends definitely don’t act like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! I'm going to try to post these chapters on Mondays or Tuesdays (depending on when I have time with work)
> 
> As always, Kudos and Comments are appreciated. In fact, they're encouraged!


	3. Drive a little too slow, take the long way home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay SO we have another character introduction here that some may not be happy about, BUT this one actually only lasts this chapter so don't worry. I'm sorry this update was late, I've been adjusting this chapter all week and I'm still not 100% sure about so I may be making some edits here or there, but I wanted to share it will all of you.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

The delinquents all got lunch the day following Raven’s party. Tensions were high, to say the least. Octavia didn’t say anything for the first hour they were there, give or take a few passive aggressive comments. It was clear that she was very unhappy with Bellamy’s choice of party guest and it took him a while before he mustered up the confidence to say anything about it. 

“Guy, I’m really sorry. I had no idea she would act like that.” Bellamy’s head was hanging low as he addressed their friends. It was obvious that he was embarrassed about the whole situation. Clarke had given his hand a supportive squeeze and offered him a small smile, which he returned. 

“All Mount Weather girls are like that, Bellamy,” Octavia had snapped. “You have enough experience with them to know that. Bree, Roma, Ontari, Gina…” 

“Can you not include Gina in that list, please? She wasn’t like them.” Bellamy’s voice got harder, more controlled. 

Clarke slowly released her hand from Bellamy’s and she drew it away. She felt his gaze shift to her as she did it, but she couldn’t bear to look back to him. All she had been thinking about all morning was the night before. How he had calmed her down, how his hands felt on her face, how his hands would feel in other places…. 

And now they were here talking about his ex-girlfriends.

“I’m going to second Bellamy on this one,” Raven chimed in. “At least Gina had some semblance of a personality and sense of humor. That girl last night was like the devil incarnate, you could definitely do better, Blake.” 

Clarke could have sworn that he was still looking at her when he responded: “I doubt that.”

~~~~

The next few weeks passed quickly. Before Clarke knew it, it was finals week and the delinquents were camped out in their study room in the library for 5 days straight.

“Can someone explain why we signed up for FIVE YEARS OF COLLEGE instead of FOUR?” Jasper asked. He was met with groans from his friends, many of which were still curled under blankets on the floor. 

“Jasper, I have 2 hours until my next test. Let me sleep or you die.” Octavia’s voice came out low and warning. 

Before Clarke’s eyes open, she noticed that her head wasn’t lying on the floor. As she slowly woke up, she realized that her head was in Bellamy’s lap. She didn’t know when they had fallen asleep. He was helping her cram for her last Art History final, and that’s the last thing she remembered. 

She turned her head, still in his lap, and looked up at him. His hair was wild and his lips were slightly parted. She could almost count the freckles scattered across his face. 

_Wow, he’s beautiful._ She thought to herself. 

As if he had heard her thought, Bellamy stirred, stretching slightly as not to disturb Clarke’s place in his lap. Without thinking, his fingers weaved through her hair, scratching slightly at her scalp. 

“Mmm, morning, Princess.”

Clarke let herself relax into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed again. As his fingers continue to massage her hair, a small moan escaped from her lips. It was low enough that the others across the room couldn’t hear. 

Bellamy’s hand stilled and when she opened her eyes, she saw him staring down at her, his pupils blown. He was giving her the same look he had the night of Raven’s party. She held eye contact with him, tension building around them, and she could have sworn that he moved slightly, as if he may kiss her.

The sound of a textbook hitting the wall and Jasper yelling at Octavia broke the barrier that Bellamy and Clarke had around them. 

He quickly removed his hand from her head, prompting her to remove her head from his lap. Thoughts swirled in her mind, but they kept drifting back to one: What is happening to us?

~~~~

Finals week came and went, and before Clarke knew it, summer was in full swing.

Most of her friends had decided to stay in Arkadia for the summer, aside from Raven and Shaw, who had both landed jobs in a city an hour away. 

She had landed a job for the summer in a small gallery near campus. The money was good, but not nearly as much as she could have made had she moved to the city. Her mom was disappointed, constantly calling her and subtly dropping hints that the Jaha’s gallery was looking for a new junior curator. 

Following a particularly tough day at work, Clarke had decided to stop by a local bar before heading home. She texted her friends, asking if they would be able to join her, but everyone was either still at work or taking it easy. Disappointed, she plopped down in a chair and grabbed a menu. 

“What can I get you?” she heard a voice say. When she looked up, the bartender was looking at her with a friendly smile on his face. 

“Whatever will make this day not suck anymore,” she said, putting the menu back on the counter. “Like, a margarita as big as my head.” 

The bartender laughed and pushed his shoulder-length brown hair back. “Well, unfortunately we don’t have that, but I can hook you up with approximately 5 margaritas this big.” He grabbed a small glass from behind the bar and held it up. 

Clarke laughed softly. “Well, I guess that will work.” 

Over the next hour, she and the bartender had continuous conversations. She found out his name was Finn, and he had graduated from Arkadia two years before her. He had been an environmental science major but found that getting hired was a bit more difficult than he anticipated. 

Mid-conversation, Clarke heard her phone ping. She smiled apologetically at Finn, quickly grabbing her phone. 

**Bell (6:32 PM): Hey princess, you still at the bar? I could definitely use that drink now and it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.**

Clarke’s fingers floated over the keyboard, but she couldn’t will herself to type. Did she want Bellamy to come? They had barely seen each other since the library, and when they had, he had been acting weird towards her. So, she made a decision that she would continue flirting with the cute bartender rather than putting herself even further into this confusing situation. 

**Clarke (6:34 PM): I’m actually just heading home now! We’ll catch up soon.**

Putting her phone away, she glanced back up at Finn. He was studying her face, obviously trying to read her. 

“Is everything okay?” He was obviously trying to keep his voice casual, trying his hardest not to pry. 

“Yeah, everything is fine! Just letting my friends know I’m alive.” 

“And do you have anywhere to be tonight? Say at 8:00?” Finn inquired, leaning on the bar. 

Clarke blushed. “I don’t think so. Why?” 

Finn’s smiled beamed. “Because that’s when my shift is over, and I’d really like to take you out.”

~~~~

The next big party the Delinquents were throwing was for the Fourth of July. They decided they would do a cookout on the beach and watch the fireworks. Clarke had been seeing Finn for almost a month at this point and it was the first time she was bringing him to a party with her friends. 

And she was nervous. 

Over the past few weeks, Clarke had been in a bubble with Finn. Sure, she still saw her friends frequently, but she would never give much information. She tried to ignore the tension that made its way into Bellamy’s shoulders whenever their friends mentioned Finn’s name, almost as much as she tried to ignore the shiver she still got every time Bellamy hugged her or accidently grazed her skin with his hand. 

She was happy with Finn. Really. He was… simple. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was never one to back down from telling her how he felt. He was an open book and it was easy. 

Her phone buzzed with a text from Finn saying he was waiting for her outside. She quickly grabbed her beach bag and cooler, fully stocked with her favorite drinks and snacks, and walked down.

When she got in the car, Finn gave her a quick kiss. 

“Hey, beautiful,” he said. “You ready to roll?”

Clarke nodded, trying to hide her judgement at his phrasing. _Ready to roll?_ She thought to herself. _Who even says that?_

She saw her friends are they approached the beach. Raven and Shaw were setting up the grill, and Bellamy and Murphy were starting to put together teams for the volleyball tournament. Clarke had been looking forward to volleyball for weeks. She had talked Finn’s ear off about how she had been practicing with Harper and was sure that this was the year she would finally beat Bellamy. 

Every was quick to welcome Clarke when she arrived. She introduced Finn to group, trying to ignore how Bellamy stood back from them, arms crossed over his chest as he analyzed the other man. 

When Clarke approached him, he released his arms and wrapped her in a hug. He leaned his head down so his lips were grazing her ear. 

“I don’t know, Princess. I think you could do better.” 

Clarke felt a shiver down her spine that she tried to contain. Gently pushing him away, she rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Finn, who was glancing in her direction as he spoke to Monty. The expression on his face wasn’t like anything she had seen from him before, but it left as quickly as it came, and she decided to ignore it. 

The next hour went off without a hitch. Clarke did her best to avoid speaking to Bellamy one-on-one, worried about what he might say and how she would react in from of Finn. They had always bickered, maybe even flirtatiously sometimes, but he had never said anything about the people she’s dated before. 

“Alright, shitheads, it’s time for volleyball. Five person teams, Bellamy and I are captains, as usual.” Murphy’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. 

Clarke immediately stood up, adrenaline pulsing through her. She looked down and held her hand out for Finn. “Come on, this is the best part of the day!” 

Finn grabbed her hand, but began pulling her to sit back down. “Babe, I’m kind of tired. Why don’t you just sit this year out and we can watch?” 

Clarke felt her face drop in confusion. “Um… I’m not going to sit here and watch, Finn. I’ve been looking forward to this and you know that. Let’s just play!” She broke into a small smile again, trying to pull him up. 

“Clarke, I really don’t want to play. Just come and sit with me.” Finn pulled her arm harder, causing her to stumble into his lap. She felt his hands wrap around her waist and his face nuzzle into her neck. “This is much better than volleyball.” 

Clarke felt strangely repulsed by the affection, squirming slightly to loosen Finn’s grip on her. “Finn, can you stop please?” 

“Hey, Princess, we’re not getting any younger over here. Can you guys get a move on?” She looked up and saw Bellamy’s eyes fixed on them, arms crossed once again. She felt Finn’s grip tighten more around her. 

“Does that guy know that you’re not his princess or does he need me to tell him?” Finn said lowly, frustration apparent in his voice. 

Clarke rolled her eyes, finally shaking free from Finn’s grasp and standing. “Relax, Finn. You don’t have to play but I’m going to.” 

Walking towards her friends, she instinctively went towards Murphy’s side, as she was always on the team opposite Bellamy. 

“Wrong side, Clarke. We’re switching it up this year. You were Blake’s first pick.” Murphy said, nodding his head towards Bellamy’s side of the court. 

Clarke shot Bellamy a confused look before walking to his side. “Afraid I was gonna beat you this year? I know you know I’ve been practicing.” 

Bellamy chuckled. “I was doing Murphy a favor. I figured he had lost too many times with you on his team, so I decided to do him a solid.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes and walked past him, shoving his arm. “Jackass.” 

“You love me.” 

Clarke took her position, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest when he said those words.

~~~~

The game took longer than they anticipated, and the sun was beginning to set. It turns out that the teams were more evenly matched than they thought. Every time Murphy’s team got a point, Bellamy and Clarke’s would come right back from behind, and vice versa. 

On the final match point, it was Bellamy’s teams serve. Raven stood behind the line, sending the ball soaring over the net. It was received by Emori, who gently tapped it towards Murphy, who set Octavia up to send it over the net again. 

Bellamy and Clarke had already strategized this play. The ball was coming straight towards Shaw, who tapped it up towards where Clarke was set. Just then the wind picked up, sending the ball further than anticipated. Clarke knew that if it landed, it would be out, and she was not losing this game.

Adrenaline took over, and Clarke launched herself across the line, hitting the ball back towards Bellamy before belly-flopping onto the sand.  She scurried to her feet again just in time to see Bellamy spike it over the net, and into the sand, winning the game. 

Clarke screamed from happiness as their team rejoiced. Finn was cheering from the sidelines, but Clarke didn’t even hear him. She was focused on Bellamy bounding towards her, picking her up into his arms and spinning. 

“That was awesome, Clarke!” He said, and she could hear the genuine happiness in his voice. 

When he put her down, her back was towards Finn. “I guess we make a pretty good team.” 

Bellamy smirked, but before he was able to say anything, Clarke saw his eyes look past her. Following his gaze, she saw Finn grabbing his beach chair and heading towards the parking lot. 

She glanced back at Bellamy, who shrugged and nodded his head in Finn’s direction, prompting her to go after him. 

“I’ll be right back,” she said quickly, taking off in Finn’s direction. 

“Finn! Where are you going? The fireworks are about to start,” she questioned. The sun had just disappeared, the last minutes of light fading away as they glow of campfires across the beach started taking over. 

Finn scoffed. “I think I’ve seen quite enough fireworks for the day, thanks.” 

He unlocked his car, throwing the chair in the backseat. 

“Finn, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Just come back to the bea-” 

“Oh, come on, Clarke. You know what I’m talking about. I don’t know if dating me was to make him jealous or what but I’m not going to sit here while my girlfriend acts like she’s dating someone else.” 

“Bellamy and I are just friends, Finn. Best friends, okay? We don’t look at each other that way.” 

Finn laughed bitterly. “You two act more like a couple than anyone I’ve ever seen. And that’s coming from a guy that you’re actually coupled with.”

Clarke looked at him, not sure what to say next. “Finn…”

“No, Clarke. I’m going home,” he began getting into his car, only stopping when Clarke’s hand stopped him from closing the door. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Finn. There is nothing going on between me and Bellamy,” Even as Clarke said the words, she knew she wouldn’t convince him. Hell, she couldn’t even convince herself. She saw Finn’s face soften. 

“I know what it’s like to want someone and not knowing if they want you back, Clarke. You can choose to ignore it or you can choose to figure it out with him, but either way I’m not sticking around while you do it.” 

Clarke dropped her hand from the door, prompting Finn to slam it shut, and drive away. As she watched him go, her thoughts started racing. 

_Shit, what if I’m in love with my best friend?_

She quickly pushed the thought out of her head, like she always did.

~~~~

Following the conversation (fight? Breakup?) with Finn, Clarke returned to her friends to watch the fireworks. None of them questioned where Finn had gone, it was just apparent that they shouldn’t ask about it.

It wasn’t until the fireworks ended and her friends began dispersing that she realized she no longer had a ride home. Looking around, she saw that Bellamy was finishing packing up his car. 

She questioned whether or not she should ask him for a ride. She might be forced to tell him that the reason Finn left was actually because of him, which would either make Bellamy really smug or make him uncomfortable, and after the awkwardness following the library, she definitely didn’t want that. 

“Hey, Princess,” Her head shot towards him as he spoke. “You need a ride?” 

“No, I’m fine! I’ll just call an Uber,” She ensured him. She looked down at her phone, noticing the closest Uber was 25 minutes away. 

“God, you and your Ubers. Clarke, you know that Uber’s take forever out here. Just get in the car.” 

“No, Bellamy, seriously. I’m fine and my apartment is out of the way, and it’ll just add more time—” 

“Clarke, just get in the car.” She heard the amusement in Bellamy’s voice, but she also knew he wasn’t taking no for an answer. She walked to the passenger side and hopped in, mumbling a quick thanks. 

They drove in silence for a while before Bellamy spoke up. 

“So, Finn took off, huh? Couldn’t handle no one fawning over that hair of his?” 

Clarke let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, he left. He thought--,” She caught herself. “It doesn’t matter, the point is he left.” 

“You seem real broken up about it,” he said with a smirk. “Guess he wasn’t that great.” 

“He was… nice,” Clarke stated. She couldn’t even think of a better word to describe him. He was just nice. He was vanilla, reliable, but never overly exciting. 

“So, you’re saying he was boring?” Bellamy asked, saying the exact thing she was thinking to herself. 

Clarke stayed quiet, no longer wanting to talk about it. She reached for the radio and flipped through the channels, settling on a Springsteen song. It was 10 more minutes of driving before she realized where they were. 

“Why are you taking the long way to my apartment? You should’ve taken Shadow Valley Road.” 

“I don’t know, Princess, I felt like taking the long way.” He stated matter of factly. “So, why did Finn leave?” 

The question caught her off guard. She tried to figure out what to say, trying desperately to avoid the conversation. She stayed silent for a beat too long, prompting Bellamy to speak again. 

“Come on, Clarke. It’s not a difficult question. If you can’t tell me, who can you tell?” 

It was true and she knew it. Bellamy was her best friend. She took a breath and turned towards him. 

“Well, he thinks that we are like, I don’t know, more than friends? Or something like that? He said that we were acting more like a couple than I ever did with him. And I told him that was ridiculous, that we’re just really close, but he didn’t believe me and drove away.” 

Bellamy glanced at her briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. “I don’t think that’s ridiculous.” 

Before Clarke could speak, Bellamy quickly continued. 

“I mean, our friends say we act like a couple all the time. It’s not out of the ordinary. But he was kind of an asshat anyway so who cares.” 

After a brief pause, Clarke responded.

“I guess you’re right.” 

She tried to ignore the pit in her stomach. Just because they acted that way didn’t mean there were any other feelings there, but why did it feel like something had been shifting between them lately? Why did she always feel him looking at her when she was around? And why did he dislike Finn when he was nothing but pleasant with their friends?

“Stop thinking so hard, Princess, you’re gonna fry your brain.” His voice sounded light. 

They drove in silence once again until Bellamy slowly pulled up to her apartment. Clarke began gathering her things. 

“Thanks for the ride, Bell. I’ll see you tomorrow.” As she went to open the door, she felt Bellamy’s hand close softly around her wrist. 

“Princess…” She heard him say softly. 

She turned back to him with a questioning look on her face. He looked almost shy, much like he did the last time he had dropped her off here.

“I told you he wasn’t good enough for you.” His eyes looked up from under his hair and locked with hers.

“You never think anyone is good enough for me,” she said with a light laugh, looking away quickly to break whatever tension was building between them. “I don’t know why you always act to protective over me.” 

Bellamy released her wrist, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. She shivered at the contact, a blush creeping into her cheeks as she looked back towards him.

“You know why Clarke,” he said, softly. She let her cheek rest in the palm of his hand as he looked at her. His lips were parted slightly, and she felt herself leaning towards him. 

_This is it,_ she thought to herself. _This is the moment that will change everything. This is when we find out if this is really friendship or something else._

She felt his lips graze her own, all it would take was one more centimeter and they would be connected. 

“Clarke…” she heard him whisper, and right as she began to close the last of the distance… 

Bellamy’s phone began ringing. Sighing, he looked at her. 

“It could be Octavia, just give me a second.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking who was calling. 

Clarke glanced at the screen before moving completely away from Bellamy. She grabbed her stuff and rushed out of the car without a second thought. Because the name that came up on his screen wasn’t Octavia… 

It was Echo.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the photo described is based on the video of Eliza and Bob KILLING it during pong at Conageddon
> 
> Comments and Kudos are appreciated. In fact, they're encouraged :)


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